“Sometimes it’s difficult, and it takes courage, but it is worth it,” says Muppidi, who grew up in Mumbai, India.

Your background?

Muppidi earned her Pharmacy degree from The Bombay College of Pharmacy in 1991, and worked for Merck for a brief time. But a scholarship beckoned, and she headed to The University of Texas at Austin for a PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology. “While I felt the PhD would be the next logical step, I wasn’t necessarily interested in pursuing academia. I ended up taking business classes at McCombs School of Business. Pharmacy was in the back of my mind all along,” says Muppidi, who later earned an MBA at Texas State in 2000.

What did you do after your Phd?

She started as an H-E-B pharmacy technician and got certified as an RPh in 2010. Early in her pharmacist career, she worked at a number of H-E-B stores as both staff and pharmacy manager to help with the business needs of H-E-B Pharmacy.

“I’ve always been up for a challenge,” says Muppidi. “Give me that ball – I’ll run with it. I’ve helped turn a few pharmacies around.”

Where are you employed now?

Since 2014, Muppidi has been a staff pharmacist at the number one pharmacy in Texas, the H-E-B at 45th and Red River in Austin’s Hancock Shopping Center. There, she works closely with TPA Vice President Mark Comfort.

What do you do?

“We dispense about 5,000 prescriptions a week,” says Muppidi. “I love it here. There is never a dull moment – the business is always hopping. It’s a fast-paced environment and I’m always challenged.”

“I love working as a pharmacist. Although pharmacy was not my first love, I have found a way to bring to it what I am passionate about, and make it my passion. I’ve always loved people, and there is such a great ‘people aspect’ to pharmacy. I enjoy motivating people and getting inspired by the people I encounter on a daily basis, adds Muppidi. I love to travel and experience new adventures. Pharmacy allows me to keep my dreams alive. As the great Israeli leader Shimon Perez once said, ‘The secret of perpetual youth, is to ensure that your list of dreams always remains longer than your list of achievements.’”